Background/Aims: Probiotics appear to improve Helicobacter pylori-associated dyspepsia via an inhibitory effect on H. pylori; however, uncertainty exists regarding their effects in H. pylori-uninfected individuals. We evaluated the efficacy of Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2716 (L. gasseri OLL2716) on H. pylori-uninfected individuals with functional dyspepsia (FD). Methods: A double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, randomized, controlled trial was performed. Participants were randomly assigned to ingest L. gasseri OLL2716-containing yogurt (L. gasseri OLL2716 group) or L. gasseri OLL2716-free yogurt (placebo group) for 12 weeks. Participants completed questionnaires that dealt with a global assessment as well as symptom severity. The per-protocol (PP) population was evaluated for efficacy in accordance with a plan prepared beforehand. Results: Randomization was performed on 116 individuals; the PP population consisted of 106 individuals (mean age 42.8 ± 9.0). The impressions regarding the overall effect on gastric symptoms were more positive in the L. gasseri OLL2716 group compared to that in the placebo group (statistical trend; p = 0.073). The elimination rate for major FD symptoms was 17.3 and 35.3% in the placebo and L. gasseri OLL2716 groups respectively (p = 0.048). Conclusion:L. gasseri OLL2716 has beneficial effects on FD without H. pylori involvement.

Pantoprazole (PAN) is a proton pump inhibitor that is administered as a racemic mixture. The pharmacokinetics of PAN enantiomers were investigated in extensive metabolizers (EMs) and apparent poor metabolizers (PMs) of PAN who received a single 40, 60, or 80 mg oral dose of racemic PAN as enteric‐coated formulation. In the EMs, the serum concentrations of (−)‐PAN were slightly higher than those of (+)‐PAN at each dose level. The (+)/(−) ratios for the area under the concentration‐time curve (AUC) and the half‐life were 0.58–0.89 and 0.62–0.88, respectively. In the PMs, the serum concentrations of both enantiomers were much higher than those in the EMs at each dose level and significant differences in pharmacokinetics of (+)‐ and (−)‐PAN were observed. The half‐lives for (+)‐PAN were 2.67–3.77 times longer than those for (−)‐PAN. The AUCs for (+)‐PAN were 2.65–3.45 times greater than those for (−)‐PAN. Therefore, the metabolism of (+)‐PAN is impaired to a greater extent than (−)‐PAN in the PMs, which resulted in the stereoselective disposition of PAN in the PMs. It has been suggested that the EMs and the PMs of PAN could be differentiated by determining the (+)/(−) enantiomer ratio in serum at one time point, possibly 2–6 h after oral dosing, because the (+)/(−) enantiomer ratios in the PMs were opposite those in the EM subjects. Chirality 9:17–21, 1997 © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

astrointestinal disease is one of the serious complications that can follow after cardiac surgery, and can lead to high rates of morbidity and mortality. 1,2 Particularly, postoperative bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal (GI) system is quite lethal, because coagulopathy can develop as patients undergo anti-coagulant therapy. Therefore, prophylactic treatment for upper GI diseases after open heart surgery appears very necessary. Several investigators have reported the incidence and risk factors for stress ulceration and upper GI bleeding in patients after cardiac surgery. 3,4 However, there are no randomized controlled trials of the incidence of these lesions and the effects of prophylactic treatment in adult patients undergoing open heart surgery. We designed a prospective randomized trial to test the efficacy of different antisecretory agents, such as histamine-2 (H2)-receptor antagonists and a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) to prevent upper GI complications after open heart surgery.

Background Reports that sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors decrease cardiovascular death and events in patients with diabetes have attracted attention in the cardiology field. We conducted a study of canagliflozin in patients with chronic heart failure and type II diabetes. Methods Thirty-five Japanese patients with chronic heart failure and type II diabetes were treated with canagliflozin for 12 months. The primary endpoints were the changes of subcutaneous, visceral, and total fat areas at 12 months determined by computed tomography. Secondary endpoints included markers of glycemic control, renal function, and oxidative stress, as well as lipid parameters, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and echocardiographic left ventricular function. Results All fat areas (subcutaneous, visceral, and total) showed a significant decrease at 12 months. ANP and BNP also decreased significantly, along with improvement of renal function, oxidized LDL, and E/e′, FMD increased significantly after canagliflozin treatment. Conclusion Canagliflozin demonstrated cardiac and renal protective effects as well as improving oxidative stress, diastolic function, and endothelial function. This drug was effective in patients who had heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and could become first-line therapy for such patients with diabetes. Trial registration UMIN ( http://www.umin.ac.jp/ ), Study ID: UMIN000021239

No abstract